1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to latch assemblies and, more particularly, to a latch assembly that can be used to releasably maintain a movable closure element in a desired position relative to a support therefor.
2. Background Art
Movable closure elements are used in many industries in both static environments and on moving equipment. These closure elements are commonly pivoted, or translated, between different positions, normally opened and closed positions, to selectively block and allow access to, a space fronted by the closure element.
An exemplary latch assembly, utilized on the above type of closure element, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,787, to Kutschat. Kutschat employs two throated rotors 16 which are repositionable to cooperatively engage with a strike element 4. The rotors 16 are designed to be selectively maintained in secondary latched positions, as shown in FIG. 7B, and primary latched positions, as shown in FIG. 7C. The primary and secondary latched positions are maintained by the end of an L-shaped arm 28, which is movable about a pivot 56 between positions wherein the arm 28 is engaged with the rotors 16, to maintain their latched positions, and disengaged from the rotors. The free end of the arm 28 is spaced from the pivot 56 and travels in an arcuate path between its rotor-engaged and rotor-disengaged positions. Accordingly, as the arm 28 is pivoted to effect disengagement, the rotor 16 most remote from the pivot 56 must be pivoted to clear the arcuately moving free end of the arm. As a result, significant resistance to pivoting of the arm 28 may be imparted by the rotor 16.
Additionally, the impeding rotor 16 must be mounted to permit the additional pivoting movement required to disengage the arm 28. This could put constraints on the manner in which the rotors 16 are mounted to the supporting housing 8.
Still further, the arcuate path traveled by the arm free end may, depending upon the particular cooperating arrangement between the arm and rotors 16, place unwanted restrictions on, or complicate, the design of the cooperating portions of the rotors 16 and arm 28.
Designers of this type of latch assembly strive to simplify design, without compromising functionality. In the interest of simplifying design, it is common to reduce the number of component parts. This may contribute to efficiency from the standpoint of inventory control, number of manufacturing steps, etc. The industry is constantly looking for ways to make designs of these latch assemblies more economically feasible while at the same time improving operating characteristics thereof.